1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to a frame assembly and, more specifically, to a frame assembly for supporting a fenestration article.
2. Description of the Related Art
Frame assemblies for windows or doors, which support an article, such as screen cloth or a pane of glass, are known in the art and have been widely used by window manufacturers. Generally, the frame assemblies are disposed adjacent to an exterior side of the window or door. A typical frame assembly includes a pair of stile members and a pair of rail members. The stile and rail members are coupled together to form the frame assembly.
Typically, the stile and rail members are coupled together by a separate attachment component such as a fastener, an adhesive strip, and/or a press-fit cornerlock. The attachment member prevents separation between the stile and rail members. The use of the attachment member adds cost to manufacture the frame assemble due to the cost of the attachment member. Additionally, the attachment member requires an additional step during the manufacturing of the frame assembly because the attachment member must be coupled to the stile and rail members, which increased a time to manufacture the frame assembly.
As an alternative to the attachment member, the rail member may have tabs extending from ends of the rail member. In such cases, the rail member is completely disposed within the stile member and the tab extends through a slot defined by the stile member. The formation of the slot in the stile members adds time and costs to manufacture the frame assembly. Additionally, greater care must be taken when coupling the stile and rail members to properly align the tab of the rail member with the slot of the stile member.
The tab on the rail member is then bent to engage the stile member and prevent separation between the stile and rail members. The cross-section of the rail member is not uniform over an entire length because the end of the rail member must be narrowed to allow the rail member to be received within the stile member. As such, the stile and rail members do not have uniform cross-sections thus increasing costs to manufacture the frame assembly because the stile and rail members must be formed independent of one another. Additionally, having the tab on the rail member extend through the stile member prevents the stile member and the rail member from having cross-sections of irregular shapes, such as architectural sections as is known in the art.
Furthermore, completely disposing the rail member within the stile member results in limited engagement between the stile and rail members when coupled together. For example, having the rail member completely within the stile member prevents the stile member from having tabs to engage the rail member. Therefore, only the tab on the rail member prevents separation of the stile and rail members in both a horizontal and a vertical directions. The limited engagement between the stile and rail members limits the ability of the frame assembly to resist separating when normal forces act on the frame assembly. Therefore, there remains a need to provide an improved frame assembly.